Bag closure



H. ANDERSON July 27, 1937.

BAG CLOSURE Filed Feb. 11. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented my 27, 1937 I r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG CLOSURE Helmer Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to General Mills, Inc., Minne'apolis, Minn, a

corporation of Delaware Application February 11, 1935, Serial No; 6,029

10 Claims- (cues-e) This invention relates to-new and useful improvements in bag closures, and more particularly to a novel method of folding the walls of an open bag top into closing relation, whereby suitable recesses or pockets are provided in the upper portion of the bag for receiving the fingers, thereby to facilitate moving or'handling the bag.

F1our,'and many other pulverulent and granular materials are now commonly put up or packed in paper bags for distribution to the trade. These bags usually vary in size from oneto fifty pounds. The smaller bags, say from one to five pounds, have relatively small bodies and may therefore be conveniently grasped by the hand without the use of added means for receiving the fingers of the hand to facilitate handling. The larger bags,

however, are not so easily. grasped by the hand because their bodies are of such size as to make it practically impossible to obtain a good grip on the bag body with one hand, and to overcome this difilculty, applicant conceived the idea of so folding the bag top walls as to provide oppositely disposed recesses or pockets in the upper portion of the bag body, for receivingthe tips of the fingers.

By inserting the fingers into these recesses, the bag may be conveniently grasped and moved about from place to place without difliculty.

Some manufacturers, at present close the open tops of paper bags by crimping together the walls of the bag top to form a neck, which is closed by securing a, cord or a piece of wire'thereto. Bags which are so closed, may be conveniently handled in transit by grasping the neck of the bag, which forms, in effect, a handle, by which they may readily be moved about. Bags which have their open tops closed by thus crimping the bag top walls and applying a piece of string or wire thereto, have not proven so satisfactory in the trade, because the string or wire has a tendency to 40 cut or tear the walls of the bag, causing leakage. To eliminate this dificulty, the bag tops are now commonly closed by folding the bag top walls, first into fiatwise relation and then folding them against the bag'body and suitably securing them thereto by an adhesive, whereby the bag top is sealed in such a manner as to become substan tially leak-proof. It is to this type of bag closure that the invention more particularly appertains. An object of the present invention, therefore, i to so fold the walls of the bag top as to form o ppositely disposed recesses or pockets in the uppen portion of the bag body adapted to receive the fingcras-wherebya relatively large, bag may be conveniently grasped and movedab ut Without difiiculty.

A further object resides in the particular manner, in which the bag top walls are folded, whereby the operation of closing and sealing the bag top is greatly facilitated.

A further object is to provide a bag closure, 5

wherein the end walls of thebag top are first intucked between the side walls of the bag top, after which all of said walls are folded and pressed into flatwise relation, and subsequently folded over against the bag body in a single fold l0 and suitably secured thereto by gumming.

A further object is to provide a bag closure of the character described, in which the bag top walls are so folded that a marginal edge of one of the side walls of the bag top will overhang or 15 project beyond the corresponding edge of the other side wall, when said walls are folded into fiatwise relation, whereby when said walls are folded into contact with. the bag body and secured thereto, the upper marginal edgesof both 20 side walls will be secured directly to the body of I the bag, and the side wall next to the bag body will be substantially concealed. by the other or overlying side wall, whereby there will be but-a single thickness of paper at the juncture between 25 the upper edges of the side walls of thebag top and the bag body, which will greatly lessen the danger of the bag top walls accidentally being torn open along said edges.

Other objects 'of the invention will appear 30 from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the 35 various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow. p 40 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the finger-receiving recesses or pockets formed in the bag top, when the top walls thereof are folded into closing and sealing relation in accordance with 5 a the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the initial step in the operation of folding the bag top walls into closing relation;

Figure 3 is a top view of Figure 2, showing the 50 end walls of the bag top int'ucked between the side Walls thereof, and also showing the intucking members offset from the medial plane of the bag body, whereby one (if the inwardly folded side walls of the bag top will be relatively larger 55 than the other of said side walls, when said walls are folded into flatwise relation;

Figure 4 is a view showing the bag top walls folded into flatwise relation and offset from the medial plane of the bag;

Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 4, showing the marginal edges of one of the side walls overhanging the corresponding'edges of the other side wall;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the bag top walls partially open, whereby a suitable gum may be applied to the inner surfaces thereof;

Figure 7 is a plan view of Figure 1, showing the bag top completely closed;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9--9 of Figure '7, more clearly showing the fingerreceiving recesses or pockets formed in the upper portion of the bag body for receiving the fingers.

The open top of the bag body 2 comprises oppositely disposed end walls 3-3 and side walls 4--5 which cooperate to define the mouth of the bag, as best shown in Figure 2. To close the bag top, suitable elements 6-6 are inserted into the bag mouth, after which suitable intucking members 1-! engage the outer surfaces of the end walls 3-3 and intuck them between the side walls 4 and 5, as shown in Figure 3. The end and side walls are then folded into flatwise relation, by suitable elements 88, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.

An important feature of the invention resides in so arranging the members I and 8 that when the bag top walls are folded and pressed into flatwise relation, one of'the side walls of the bag top, in the present instance, the side wall 5, will become relatively larger in size than the side wall 4, whereby'the marginal edges of the side wall 5 will .overhang or project beyond the corresponding edges of the side wall 4.

To thus cause the side wall 5 to become larger than the side wall 4, when said walls are folded into flatwise relation, the intucking members 1-! are disposed in a plane aa offset from the medial plane b b of the bag body, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. By thus offsetting the intucking members 1-! from the medial plane 22-!) of the bag body, when the bag top walls are folded into flatwise relation, as shown in Figure 4, the medial plane of said folded bag top walls will be offset from the medial plane 17-1) of the bag body, which, as hereinbefore stated, will cause the side wall 5 to become relatively larger than the side wall 4, as a result of a greater portion of the side wall 4 being intucked by the members 1-1. Figure 5 clearly illustrates the comparative sizes of the side walls 4 and 5, as a result of the-intucking members |-'I' operating in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body. After the bag top walls have been folded into fiatwise relation, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, they are partially opened by suitable means, not shown, as indicated in Figure 6, and a suitable gum applied to the inner surfaces 9 thereof, and preferably to the upper surface IU of the bag body, as shown in Figure 6. Gum may also be applied to portions of the outer surfaces of the end walls 3- -3, as indicated at 20 in the same figure. The bag top walls are then folded firmly into engagement with the bag body, as shown in Figures '7 and 8, whereby the side wall 4 which will be positioned beneath the relatively larger side wall 5, will contact directly with the gummed body, it may be found desirable to apply the gum to the adjacent or outer surface of the side wall 4, or it may be applied directly to both the wall 4 and surface I. The gum may be applied by any suitable means applicable for the purpose.

Because of the marginal edges of the side wall 5 projecting beyond the corresponding edges of the side wall 4, said projecting edges will contact directly with the bag body and will be secured thereto, whereby but a single thickness of paper is provided along the edgev I I, best shown in Figure 7. This is important in that it minimizes the danger of the bag top accidentally being torn open, and it has also been found to provide a seal, as will readily be understood by reference to Figures 7 and 8.

In closing the bag top walls, it is to be noted that no gum is applied to the outer surfaces of the end walls of the bag top, whereby when all of the bag top walls are folded into closing and sealing relation, as shown in Figure 7, suitable recesses or pockets l2 are formed at the upper portions of the bag body, as best illustrated in Figure 9, into which the fingers may be inserted to thereby facilitate handling the bag.

The novel bag closure herein disclosed is very simple and may readily be performed by automatic machinery at a high rate of speed. When the bag top walls are folded into closing and sealing relation and suitably secured to the bag body, as above described, the fingers may readily be .insertedinto the recesses or pockets I2, as shown in Figure 9, whereby the bag may be conveniently carried about, as will readily be understood. The particular manner of closing and sealing the bag top, whereby finger receiving recesses or pockets l2 are provided, does not complicate the sealing of the bag top, and it is also to be noted that by folding the bag top walls in such a manner as to cause the marginal edges of one of the side walls to overhang or project beyond the corresponding edges of the other side wall, the bagof the bag top between the side walls/thereof and applying gum only to the upper portions thereof, applying gum to the upper inner surfaces of said side walls and to an outer surface of one of said walls, and folding saidbag top walls into sealing engagement with the bag body, whereby the ungummed portions of said folded walls at the upper corners of the bag will cooperate to provide suitable finger-receiving recesses or pockets.

2. A method of closing and sealing ,the open top of a paper bag in a manner to provide suitable finger receiving recesses or pockets in the upper portion of the bag body to facilitate handling, which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and applying gum only -to the upper portion of said intucked end walls applying gum to surfaces of said side walls, pressing all of said gummed bag top walls into fiatwise relation whereby the end walls are disposed-between the side walls, and subsequently folding said walls into engagement with the bag body in a'single fold and securing them thereto, whereby the ungummed portions of said folded walls will cooperate to form suitable finger-receiving recesses or pockets in the'upper portion of the bag body.

3. A method of closing and-sealing the open top of a bag which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and pressing all of said walls into fiatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body, whereby a marginal edge done of said side walls projects beyond the corresponding edge of the other of said side walls, and applying a suitable gum to said walls and folding them into sealing engagement with the bag body,

whereby said projecting edge will be secured directly to the bag body.

4. A method of closing and sealing the open top of a paper bag, which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and pressing all of said walls into flatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body, whereby one of said side walls will be relatively larger than the other side 'wall, thereby to cause the marginal edges of said larger side wall to project beyond the corresponding edges of the smaller side wall, applying a suitable gum to surfaces of said walls, and subsequently folding them into sealing engagement with the bag body, whereby the projecting edges of said larger side wall will contact directly with the bag body. Y

5. A method of closing and sealing the open top of a paper bag, which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and pressing all of said'walls into fiatwise relation in a plane ofiset from the medial plane of the bag body and parallel thereto, and whereby one of said side walls will be relatively larger than the other side wall, thereby to cause the marginal edges of said larger side wall to project beyond the corresponding edges of the smaller side wall, applying a suitable gum to surfaces of said walls, and subsequently folding them into sealing engagement with the bag body in a single fold, whereby the projecting edges of said larger side wall will contact directly with the bag body.

6. A method of closing and sealing the open top of a paper bag, which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and pressing all of said walls into flatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body, whereby one ofsaid side walls will be relatively larger in size than the other side wall, and whereby when said walls are folded into contact with the bag body, the side wall adja- 5 cent to the, bag body will be concealed beneath the other side wall.

7. A method of closing and sealing the open top of a. paper bag, which consists in intucking the end walls of the bag top between the side walls thereof and pressing all of said walls into fiatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body, whereby one of said side walls'will be relatively larger in size than the other side wall, and folding said walls into contact with the bag body in a single fold, whereby the side wall adjacent to the bag body will be concealed beneath the other side wall, whose marginal edges project beyond the corresponding edges of said adjacent wall and contact with and are secured directly to the walls of the bag body.

8. A method of closing and sealing the open top of a paper bag whereby suitable finger-receiving recesses or pockets are formed in the upper portion of the bag body to facilitate handling, which consists in folding -the walls of the bag top into fiatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body and whereby the upper marginal edge: of one of said walls will project beyond the corresponding edge of an adjacent wall, applying gum to surfaces of said walls, and folding saidwalls into engagement with a wall of the bag body, and securing them thereto in sealing relation, and whereby said projecting wall edge is secured directly to the bag body in a single thickness, and whereby suitable finger-receiving recesses or pockets areformed in the upper portion of the bag body.

9. A method of folding the walls of an open bag top into closingand sealing relation, which consists in folding the walls of the bag top into fiatwise relation in a plane offset from the medial plane of the bag body whereby the' upper edge of one'of said walls projects above or beyond the corresponding edge of an adjacent .wall, applying gum to surfaces of said folded walls, and subsequently folding said gummed walls into contact with the bag body in a; single fold and securing them thereto, to seal the bag top, and whereby said projecting wall edge is secured directly to a wall of the bag body and conceals the corresponding edge of the adjacent wall.

10. A method of closingand sealing the open topof a paper bag, whereby suitable finger-receiving recesses or pockets are formed in the container top to facilitate, handling, which consists ets, which are symmetrically disposed about the medial plane of the bag body.

a HELMER ANDERSON. 

